Toronto police launch body camera pilot project

CTV Toronto: Cops to wear body cameras Body-worn cameras will be tested by Toronto police as part of a pilot project. Janice Golding has more on the reaction from police.

Toronto police are launching a year-long pilot project to test body camera technology.

Starting Monday, 100 officers from four different units of the police force will hit the streets wearing the new cameras. The cameras will be activated every time an officer responds to a call for service, or is investigating an individual during the course of their duties.

The cameras record video and audio, which is encrypted and fed back to a server.

"We believe body-worn cameras are a valuable piece of technology and will provide an unbiased, accurate account of our interactions with the public," Toronto Police Staff Supt. Tom Russell said Friday.

"We've not entered into this project lightly," he added, explain that officers have been trained on issues of privacy and human rights.

They're also expected to notify the public that they are wearing a camera when attending a scene.

The Toronto Police Service partnered with the Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of the Attorney General to develop a system that addresses issues of privacy and disclosure.

Cameras will be worn by officers in the TAVIS Rapid Response Team, Traffic Services Motor Squad, the Primary Response Unit at 55 Division and the Community Response Unit at 43 Division.

"These areas were chosen because of the quality and quantity of engagements that we have with the public and the full support of the unit commanders at those locations," Russell said.

More information is available online. Those wishing to provide feedback on the program are asked to complete an online survey or email [e-mail].

The project has a budget of $500,000.